APC's keynote address at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance 2026 high-level governmental segment

APC’s Global Programme Director Raman Jit Singh Chima delivered the keynote address at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance 2026 during the high-level governmental segment’s multistakeholder plenary in Geneva. Speaking in July 2026 at the “Dialogue of Dialogues” session, Chima represented the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), describing the organization as a non-profit created in 1990 with a network of 73 organizational members and 44 associates operating across more than 60 countries. He emphasized why civil society, public-interest technologists, and grassroots communities must be involved in shaping technology policy. Chima argued the moment is not a blank slate, pointing to historical cycles of “AI springs” and “AI winters,” and stressing that today’s deployments affect vulnerable communities rather than staying in purely academic tests. He said digital governance processes have shown value when governments, civil society, technical communities, academia, the private sector, and international organizations work together. The address focused on the need to sustain that cross-forum engagement as AI governance architectures are designed and deployed.